How To Treat Eczema

Eczema may often be associated with old people or those that have asthma but they are not the only ones affected by this very common skin problem. Even the younger ones are being targeted.

One of the most common forms of eczema In young people is the Seborrhoeic dermatitis. You can see this in people who frequently have dry skin on the areas with hair like the scalp and the eyebrows. It is also found in unlikely areas like the backs of the elbows or even in some areas of the skin. Usually there will be dandruff and scaling because of the dry skin. Usually, this kind of dermatitis is actually pretty harmless although many people actually have them in various degrees. It is only dangerous when it is contracted by the very young such as an infant. Seborrhoeic dermatitis can lead to cradle cap in infants.

One mistake that people with this condition commit is to scratch the surface and get rid of the scaling or the dandruff. This is not a good idea. You see the more you scratch the surface and remove the scaling and the dry skin, the more irritated the skin becomes. Irritation can be a problem because it only exacerbates the condition. Also, when you scratch and peel off the dry skin, bacteria from your nails can be transferred into the affected area, thus infecting the skin irritation further.

Having Seborrhoeic dermatitis isn’t really something that people lose sleep over. As mentioned before, it is harmless unless the condition turns into something worst because of infection. Usually, these forms are treated with moisturizers and oil to lessen the disadvantages. Those who have dandruff turn to commercial products to solve their problems.

But not all types of eczema are harmless. There are some that require medication. One example perhaps is the atopic eczema, which is a very common allergic reaction; the discoid eczema, which often lead to dry rash and lesions; and the venous eczema, which often results to scaling, redness and darkening of the skin because of the scars.

For these forms of eczema, more aggressive treatment is usually used. It is important though that you consult with doctors before you take any medications. Corticosteroids are often used to treat eczema and while this is a pretty powerful drug, it also has some side effects. One of the side effects is the thinning of the skin. There is also a danger of the body getting used to the drug. Because of some recent studies, doctors now prescribe topical medicines instead of the oral ones. This is because topical medicines are found to have no effect on the skin.

Still even with this, some are reluctant to actually take the drugs. Others want more natural forms of treatment because they believe that problems like this are not really happening because of a medical condition but because of some irritants, for instance, detergents or shampoo. The best treatment for eczema is still education and prevention.